Michael hughes



1o any shape or style, as may be desired, and is UNITED STATES PATENT .FFICE.

MICHAEL HUGHES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PLASTIC CilMPDSlTIONfOR T AILORS CUTTING-BOARDS, AND FOROTHER PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,442, dated October 9, 1881. Application filed October 18, 1852. (No specimens.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL HUcHEs, a citizen of the United States,-residing at San Francisco, California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plastic Compounds for Tailors Cutting-Boards and other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to plastic compounds that may be molded or compressed in applicable to a variety of purposes in ornamentation, in place of stone, wood, or any of the natural products which would require cutting or carving.

In practice I make a compound consisting of sawdust, rice or rye-flour, india-rubber or gutta-pereha, linseed-oil, and soap-boilerswaste, and in'some cases a proportion of tar, pitch, or similar bituminous substance, which may be melted and thoroughly mixed in that state, and then cast in suitable moldsor compressed in any desired form; orit maybe simply compressed in slabs or blocks, and out, asdesired, for use. I vary the proportions to correspond to the use to which the compound is to be applied.

One way of making my improved composition is as follows: sawdust, ten (10) parts; rubber or gutta-percha, five (5) parts; rice or ryefiour, four to five (4 to 5) parts. Linseed-oil or soap-boilers waste is added in such quantity asto givethe mass a proper consistence. It may then be run into molds and allowed to harden; or it may be compressed into any desirable form.

1 have cast or formed the above compound into boards for use by tailors for cutting out garments, and for the various uses of cutters in general. The peculiar composition of the board tends to preserve the edge of the cutting-tool, and it consequently lasts much lon- MICHAEL HUGHES.

Vvitnesses E. H. BRADFORD, H. J. ENNIS. 

